Draft appliance.



' '0. P. JOHNSTON.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1909.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

WWI Lam ANDREW s. cmnm m. momunmcnwuzns man-crow a. c.

CLIFFORD F. JOHNSTON, OF MILLEDGEVILLE, ILLINOIS.

DRAFT APPLIANCE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLIFFORD F. J OHNS- TON, citizen of the United States, residing at Milledgeville, in the county of Carroll and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Draft Appliances, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to draft equalizers, and has specially in view a novel type of supporting frame for the equalizer which may be readily attached to, or detached from a vehicle or machine.

In carrying out the object of the invention generally stated above it will, of course, be understood that the essential features of the same are susceptible of changes in details and structural arrangements, one preferred and practical embodiment of the same being shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved equalizer or evener frame connected to the front running gear of a vehicle or machine. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the frame detached from the running gear. Fig. 3 is another similar View, showing the supporting frame equipped with a three horse equalizer or evener. Fig. l is a detail sectional View showing the manner of con necting the evener to the stub tongue of the supporting frame. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the connection between the rear of the frame and the rear end of the stub tongue.

Referring to the accompanying i'lrawings by numerals, 1 designates the front axle of a running gear, 2 the reach thereof, and 3 the tongue hounds all of which may be of the usual or any preferred construction.

The forward portions or ends of the tongue hounds converge as is usual, and between said converging portions the major portion of the improved equalizer frame is held. Said supporting frame is preferably formed of strong strap iron, the side members l of which are parallel with and in the same plane as the side members of the tongue hounds, and are connected at their rear by means of the end member 5. The forward portions of said side members 4 project beyond the forward ends of the side members of the tongue hounds and are provided with straight portions 6 forming a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 17, 1909.

Patented Dec. 21, 1909.

Serial No. 496,450.

socket for the outer end of a stub tongue 7 the inner end of which abuts the end member 5 and is rigidly, but detachably held in engagement therewith by means of an angular strap the horizontal member 8 of which rests on the top surface of said tongue and has a screw or bolt engagement 9 therewith. The vertical member 10 of said strap projects across said end member and has a bolt 11 passed through the same, the end member and into the end of the stub tongue, as is shown more clearly in Fig. 5 of the drawings. A look nut 12 may be employed to retain said bolt 11 in its fastening position. An elongated bolt 13 extends transversely across the body portion of the frame and also through the side members of the tongue hounds and is equipped with end lock nuts 14 and interposed washers 15. The usual connection 16 between the tongue hounds and the front axle has its outer ends connected with said bolt 13. The straight forward portions of the side members i have a bolt 17 passed through them and also through the outer end of the stub tongue, said bolt being retained in a fastening position by means of the lock nut 18.

Preferably the side members, end members, and straight forward portions of said side members are formed from a single length of material bent to the desired shape, and one of the said straight forwardly projecting portions terminates in a short right angular extension 19 which is in the same, or substantially the same, plane as the end of said stub tongue. The other member of said straight portion terminates in an elongated right angular extension 20 which extends across the end of the stub tongue and has a detachable bolt engagement 21 with the angular extension 19 of the other member, and terminates in a rearwardly projecting end 22 having a bolt engagement 23 with one end of an obliquely disposed brace rod 2 the other end of which has a detachable bolt engagement 24- with one of the side members 4 of the body portion of the frame. A rearwardly projecting tongue supporting rod or plate 25 has its outer end supported on said bolt 23 and its other end supported on the bolt 13 which connects the said frame to the tongue hounds. Said tongue supporting plate 25 has a detachable bolt engagement 26 with one side of the rear end portion of an ordinary tongue 27 which may be provided with a doubletree 28 when an evener or equalizer is not necessary or desirable.

The stub tongue 7 is equipped with a clevis 28 through which a bolt 29 projects, said bolt 29 also passing through the evener bar 30 and is held in looking position by means of an end nut 31. Said evener bar may be equipped with a three horse evener such as is shown in the drawings, or a two horse evener, or may be equipped with an evener of more than three horses, as will be obvious. In the present instance, said bar has been shown as having one end equipped with a swingle tree32 having a double link connection 33 with the same, and at its other end equipped with. a double tree 3.4 through the medium of a single link 35, said double tree having a link engagement 36 at each end with a swingle tree 3738.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the present invention provides a simple but exceedingly strong frame for an equalizer in which all parts are substantially braced and as the same is formed from strap iron, the

same can be constructed at a small cost. And as the various parts of the same are held in detachable engagement, it'will be seen that the same may be readily dismantled when desired.

Vhat I claim as my invention is Y A device of the character described comprising a body portion composed of an end 'member, converging side members, and

straight forward end portions, said end member, side members and forward portions being integral, and one of said straight forward portions being provided with an angular elongated extension having an intermediate connection with the opposite straight portion and terminating in a rearwardly extending end, and a tongue plate connected with said rearwardlyextending end.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLIFFORD 'F. JOHNSTON.

lVitnesses C. M. SUNDERLAND, PEARL L. SUNDERLAND. 

